West Marches

Home Page

West Marches

General Rules

1. You are an adventurer because you feel a strong call in your bones to adventure. The boredom of a calm life doesn’t appeal to you – you are driven to leave behind the safety of civilization and explore the wilds to make your name. Regardless of what drives you, you are driven. You choose where to go and what to do. There will be a handful of obvious choices, but you don’t by any means need to take them. The adventure is in your hands.

2.Players can suggest or join sessions on an at-will basis. There is no assumed set party – characters can adventure in many different groups.

3.Each session is presumed to be self-contained. Players venture into the wild, find or are found by adventure, and return home each session. Longer sessions are OK!

4.New characters start at level 1. Characters keep whatever gold and XP they earn from session to session, and characters may group with other characters of any level.

5.The world of the West Marches persists beyond each session. If players have made a change in one session, other players will see that change if they follow the same path in a later session.

6.The town of Pale is, for whatever reason, safe. Adventure is found beyond civilization’s edge. Characters can rest here between sessions and come to no harm. Likewise, there is nothing of interest for you back in the Kingdom of Glenfathan. Adventure is found in the wilds beyond.

Major Quests

Major quests are quests the characters invent and choose to undertake.
When you know of something in the marches that few others know of, and it inflames your passions, write yourself a major quest. Tell the GM.
If your party is not currently pursuing a major quest, you may reveal yours. Tell why you care, and ask your allies for aid. If they agree to help you, everyone immediately gains XP. If your group completes the major quest of anyone in the group, everyone immediately gains XP.

Adventuring Motivation

Why are you adventuring? Choose a motivation below, or tell the GM your own. At the end of each session, if you did something clearly in support of your motivation, tell the group. If everyone agrees, you gain xp.
- Personal glory
- Protecting the weak
- Accruing riches
- Uncovering secrets
- Establishing order
- Internalizing the wilds
- Repaying a debt
- Redeeming a failure